Transforming Data into Breakthroughs for the Public Sector
The global pandemic that we are still living through has changed much of the way society operates, though even before the onset of COVID-19, most people accepted that modern societies were data-driven. Data is essentially the fuel that powers our societies, and it is so pervasive that the latest DOMO ‘Data Never Sleeps 9.0’ report found that the total amount of global data consumed in 2021 was 79 zettabytes (1021), projected to grow to 180 zettabytes by 2025. These numbers are staggering in their magnitude, but to the average citizen they are also mostly meaningless. Though data is everywhere, it is only worth something to an individual if it is tailored to meet their needs.
The challenge for our modern society and for the institutions within it is to simplify and contextualize the data while ensuring that any insights can still be mined from it, though not just by specialized experts. A 2019 paper focused on Canada concluded by saying that “to ensure our nation becomes a front-runner in the new economy, we need citizens, businesses, and governments to align and recognize the value of being data-driven. Canada has an undeniable edge. Our people, businesses, and democratic values can make us competitive among other global pioneers in the data race. The time to act is now—Canada’s digital potential is too big to waste.” The pandemic has only exacerbated the fact that as much as COVID-19 has been a health challenge, it has also been a data challenge, and now more than ever, as we emerge from it is the time to wholeheartedly embrace that challenge.
...read the full whitepaper below.
